Customizable inhalants for vaping

ABSTRACT

Techniques for performing on-demand customization of inhalants to improve the vaping experience may include receiving a selected target flavor, comparing the selected target flavor with a base flavor, and receiving a chemical signature that can be used as a reference for injecting predetermined dosages of one or more pre-vapor formulations into a chamber of the vaping apparatus. The vaping apparatus may apply heat to a combination of the base flavor and the pre-vapor formulations in the chamber to generate the targeted flavor. This technique of on-demand customization of inhalants may improve the vaping experience and reduce the cost of vaping by dynamically adjusting the amount of chemicals to be added to the base flavor depending on a target experience or flavor.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. ______, filed on Feb. 23, 2022 entitled “Customizable PrintableSolutions for Delivery of Inhalants,” which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

A common way to ingest substances is to smoke those substances, such asby burning a base substrate that contains one or more active ingredientsby which the active ingredients are converted into an inhalant as“smoke,” followed by the inhalation of the resulting smoke.

Presently, the use of inhalants via smoking is common for both medicinaland recreational use. For example, various blends of strains of growncannabis and related substances when smoked, are associated withexperiences. Those experiences may include not only sensory effects suchas taste and smell but also pharmacological effects. By way of anotherexample, tobacco products are sometimes blended to deliver the desiredset of sensory effects. However, such blends may be costly and/ordifficult to obtain.

An arbitrary blend of substances can be characterized as a set ofchemicals and their associated amounts. A need may arise to specify aknown blend by such a set of chemical amounts, and subsequently tomechanically generate those chemicals using less costly and/or morereadily available materials to closely match at least some of theexperiences of the characterized arbitrary blend.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Theuse of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similaror identical items or features.

FIG. 1 is a context diagram for an example of implementing an on-demandcustomization of inhalants for vaping, in accordance with at least oneembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of exemplary components of a vaping apparatus, inaccordance with at least one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of exemplary components of a chemical signatureengine server that supports the on-demand customization of inhalants forvaping, in accordance with at least one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of exemplary components of a chemical signatureengine server that supports the on-demand customization of inhalants forvaping, in accordance with at least one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an example look-up table (LUT) that can be used as a referenceby the vaping apparatus or the chemical signature engine server forgenerating a chemical signature, in accordance with at least oneembodiment

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an example methodological implementation forperforming the on-demand customization of inhalants for vaping, inaccordance with at least one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

This disclosure describes techniques for performing an on-demandcustomization of inhalants to improve a vaping experience. Particularly,the techniques may include showing a selection of target flavors via auser interface of a vaping apparatus, comparing chemical components of auser-selected target flavor with a base flavor, and receiving a chemicalsignature based at least in part upon a comparison between the targetflavor and the base flavor. The chemical signature may be received bythe vaping apparatus from a server. The base flavor may be associatedwith a wick that produces a flavor when heated. The produced flavor (orbase flavor) may include, without limitation, tobacco, mint, mango,tropical fruit, cola, or other flavors, for example. The target flavormay include a combination of the base flavor and additional chemicalssuch as, without limitation, predetermined dosages of cannabis,terpenes, or a suitable combination thereof. In one example, the vapingapparatus may utilize the chemical signature as a reference forinjecting predetermined dosages of one or more pre-vapor formulationsinto a chamber of the vaping apparatus. The vaping apparatus may thenapply heat to a combination of the base flavor and the pre-vaporformulations in the chamber to generate the targeted flavor. Thistechnique of on-demand customization of inhalants may improve the vapingexperience and reduce the cost of vaping by dynamically adjusting theamount of chemicals to be added to the base flavor depending on a targetexperience or flavor.

Without limitation, the chemical signature may include an informationthat identifies dosages, types, and/or other data associated with thechemicals to be used for generating a flavor change. The information mayfurther identify a method, timing of injecting the pre-vaporformulations to the chamber, and/or threshold values such as an airflowpressure threshold that can be used as a reference to activate a heatingelement in the vaping apparatus. In one embodiment, the chemicalsignature is based upon a comparison between chemical components of thebase flavor of the vaping apparatus and the selected target flavor. Forexample, the comparison may result in adding a particular dosage ofcannabidiol or a terpene to a tobacco-base flavor during vaping. In thisexample, the additional particular dosage may be treated as a differencebetween the target flavor and the base flavor.

As described herein, cannabis is a genus of flowering plants thatinclude the species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabisruderalis. Cannabis has long been used for hemp fibers, seed and seedoils, medicinal purposes, and recreational purposes. Cannabidiol, betterknown as “CBD,” is one of the chemical compounds called “cannabinoids”that are found in the Cannabis sativa plant. The Cannabis sativa plantmay also include terpenes, which are common compounds in the naturalworld. Terpenes are responsible for the smell of many plants. Theterpenes may act on the endocannabinoid system in the human body in asimilar way to the cannabinoids.

Details regarding the novel products and techniques referenced above andpresented herein are described in detail, below, with respect to severalfigures that identify elements and operations used in systems, devices,methods, and computer-readable storage media that implement thetechniques.

Example Contextual Diagram

FIG. 1 is a context diagram 100 that illustrates an example of anon-demand customization of inhalants for a vaping operation. As shown, avaping apparatus 110 may be associated with a user device 120, which iscommunicatively connected to a cloud 130 to access a chemical signatureengine server 132. The chemical signature engine server 132 may beconnected to a database 134 that stores a plurality of chemicalsignatures. Each chemical signature in the stored chemical signaturesmay be comprised of a set of identifiers for various chemicals,corresponding quantities, and other data. The chemical signature engineserver 132 may include one or more servers that can be configured togenerate a chemical signature 140, which can be used by the vapingapparatus 110 as a reference to create a targeted flavor 150. The vapingapparatus may initially include a first flavor 160 as a base flavorwhere the base flavor can be combined with a second flavor 170 and/or athird flavor 180 to generate the targeted flavor 150. The second flavor170, which may be generated via a combination of one or more injectablepre-vapor formulations, or the third flavor 180, which may be generatedvia a printed dissolvable substrate, may each contain certain dosages ofcannabis, terpenes, or a suitable combination thereof. The targetedflavor 150 may be dynamically varied or generated on demand based upon atarget flavor, which can be selected via a user interface of the vapingapparatus. This technique of customizing on demand the target flavor mayimprove the user experience and can further generate a cheaper versionof dynamically adding cannabis, terpenes, etc. to the base flavor insome examples.

As shown, the first flavor 160 may be obtained via a wick 162 that canbe positioned and/or inserted into a replaceable cartridge 164 to absorban oil 166. The first flavor 160, which may be derived from a heated oil166, may include tobacco, mint, mango, tropical fruit, cola, or otherflavors, for example. The second flavor 170 may be obtained via acombination of one or more pre-vapor formulations such as a firstpre-vapor formulation 172, a second pre-vapor formulation 174, a thirdpre-vapor formulation 176, or a suitable combination thereof. Each ofthese pre-vapor formulations may include a different type of chemicalcomponent and can be drawn from their corresponding reservoir within thevaping apparatus 110. One or more nozzles (not shown) are in fluidcommunication with the one or more pre-vapor formulations to injectthese chemical components into the chamber of the vaping apparatus. Thethree pre-vapor formulations are for illustration purposes only andother pre-vapor formulations may form the second flavor 170 withoutaffecting the embodiments described herein.

The third flavor 180 may be associated with a printed dissolvablesubstrate that can be inserted and/or vaporized in the chamber tomix/combine with the base flavor from the wick 162. For example, aprinter 182 may print one or more layers of ink on a dissolvablesubstrate 184 to generate the printed dissolvable substrate that isvaporized to generate the third flavor 180. In one embodiment, the inkmay include a composition that can be obtained via a combination of theformulations that are associated with the second flavor 170.

In one embodiment, the second flavor 170 and/or the third flavor 180 maybe generated using the chemical signature 140 that can be received bythe user device 120 in response to sending a query 190 requesting thechemical signature engine server 132 for the targeted flavor 150. Inresponse to the request, the chemical signature engine server 132 maydetermine a difference between the first flavor 160 and the targetedflavor 150. Based on the determined difference, the second flavor 170and/or the third flavor 180 may be combined with the first flavor 160 toobtain the targeted flavor 150.

Turning to the replaceable cartridge 164, the wick 162 may includesuitable materials such as, without limitation, glass, ceramic, orgraphite-based materials, which can be used to absorb oil and otherchemicals from one or more reservoirs of the vaping apparatus 110. Inone example, a vaporizing heater (not shown) may apply a particularamount of heat to the replaceable cartridge 164 to vaporize the oil 166resulting in a generation of the first flavor 160. The first flavor 160may include, without limitation, tobacco, mint, mango, tropical fruit,cola, or other flavors. The vaporizing heater may include a wire coilthat transfers heat to incoming ambient air that can be drawn throughchamber vent holes (not shown) during vaping, which in turn heats thewick, oil, injected pre-vapor formulations, and/or the printeddissolvable substrate by convection. The replaceable cartridge 164 mayprovide a consistent and reliable distribution of the oil 166 onto thevaporizing heater by limiting direct contact of the wick 162 to thevaporizing heater.

The targeted flavor 150 may include an enhanced vaping flavor that canbe generated on demand via the user device or the vaping apparatusitself. The targeted flavor may include an enhancement of the baseflavor via, without limitation, adding a certain dosage oftetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, terpenes, or a suitable combinationthereof. In one embodiment, the vaping apparatus 110 may be configuredto present options for the target flavors to a user. For example, eachtarget flavor may correspond to a preset radial position of a targetflavor wheel (not shown) that can be rotated to select the target flavorfrom different target flavors offered by the vaping apparatus 110. Dueto a vaping apparatus's small form factor, the target flavor wheel mayinclude an indicator tab that stops at a predetermined number of presetradial positions where each preset radial position corresponds to atarget flavor that can be presented via a user interface. In thisexample, the selected target flavor may include the combination of thebase flavor that can be derived from the wick of a replaceable cartridgeand the additional flavor(s) that can be obtained from the pre-vaporformulations or the printed dissolvable substrate.

In one embodiment, the target flavor 150 may include subtraction orremoval of dosages of the second flavor 170 and/or the third flavor 180from the chamber of the vaping apparatus. In this embodiment, the vapingapparatus may pause the injection of the pre-vapor formulations and/orinsertion of the printed dissolvable substrate into the chamber.

The second flavor 170 may be generated to add, without limitation, aparticular amount or dosage of tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol,terpene(s), or a suitable combination thereof, to the base flavor. Insome embodiments, the second flavor 170 may be generated from one ormore pre-vapor formulations with relatively high viscosity and densityformulation to transform into a vapor. Without limitation, each of thepre-vapor formulations may be a liquid, solid, or gel formulationincluding, but not limited to, one or more of water, solvent, glycerin,polyvinylpyrrolidone, ethanol, plant extract, and the like. In oneembodiment, a pre-vapor formulation may include volatile cannabidiolflavor compounds that are released upon heating. The pre-vaporformulation may further include active ingredients such astetrahydrocannabinol, terpenes, etc. Other ingredients or chemicals mayinclude flavorings such as mint and menthol. Still, other chemicals mayinclude fixative agents or preservatives.

The third flavor 180 may be generated by vaporizing the printeddissolvable substrate that can be inserted in increments, for example,into a chamber of the vaping apparatus 110. In one embodiment, the thirdflavor 180 may be used as an alternative to the second flavor 170 thatis associated with the one or more pre-formulations. In anotherembodiment, the second flavor 170 and the third flavor 180 are combinedto produce increased amounts of dosages in the chamber. Here, theprinter 182 may receive the chemical signature 140 from the vapingapparatus 110, user device 120, or directly from the chemical signatureengine server 132. The printer 182 may receive the chemical signaturefrom the vaping apparatus when the vaping apparatus itself is performingthe on-demand customization process such as sending of the query to theserver, receiving the chemical signature from the server, and the like.Based upon the chemical signature 140, the printer 182 may print atleast a single layer in a continuous pattern over a printable area ofthe dissolvable substrate 184 to produce the printed dissolvablesubstrate. The single layer may include a particular dosage, amount, orchemical characteristics that comply with the received chemicalsignature 140.

For example, the selected targeted flavor may require an additionalcompound that comprises 70% purified cannabinoid by weight for each dosethat is combined with the wick flavor as the base flavor. Here, thechemical signature 140 may include specific quantities and types of thechemical compounds that can be mixed to generate the desired additionalcompound comprising of 70% purified cannabinoid by weight for each dosethat is combined with the base flavor. In this example, and to preparethe ink for the printer 182 based on this specification, a purifiedcannabinoid from molecules such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may becombined with a purified terpene, glycerin, ethanol,polyvinylpyrrolidone, and water to create a composition of ink comprisedsubstantially of THC by weight. Without limitation, 70 mL of THC, 3.0 mLof purified terpene such as linalool, 7 mL of glycerin, 20 mL ofethanol, 100 mg of polyvinylpyrrolidone, and 15 mL of water may be mixedthoroughly to generate the ink composition that comprises 70% purifiedcannabinoid by weight and 3% terpene by weight. The ink composition isthen printed onto the dissolvable substrate 184 to generate a printeddissolvable substrate, which can be vaporized in the chamber to generatethe third flavor 180. The vaporized printed dissolvable substrate maygenerate the third flavor comprising 70% purified cannabinoid by weightfor every 10 mg of TCH, for example.

Following the preceding example, the generated ink composition may bescaled and similarly implemented by one or more nozzles (not shown) thatinject the pre-formulations that are associated with the second flavor170. For example, the pre-vapor formulations in the second flavor 170may include 0.7 mL of THC, 0.03 mL of purified terpene such as linalool,0.07 mL of glycerin, 0.002 mL of ethanol, 1 mg of polyvinylpyrrolidone,and 0.015 mL of water. In this example, the corresponding nozzle foreach pre-vapor formulation may be configured to inject the correspondingamounts into the vaping apparatus chamber to add the 70% purifiedcannabinoid by weight and 3% terpene by weight to each 10 mg dose of THCto be vaporized. This vaporized composition is then mixed with the firstflavor 160 to generate the targeted flavor 150.

The vaping apparatus 110 may include hardware and software components tovaporize a combination of the first flavor 160 and either the secondflavor 170 or the third flavor 180 to generate the targeted flavor 150.In one embodiment, the vaping apparatus 110 may include embedded sensors(not shown) to identify a label of the cartridge 164 to detect type andother data of the first flavor 160. For example, each cartridge mayinclude a label that can be used to identify the components of the baseflavor that are inserted into the chamber of the vaping apparatus. Thelabel that is associated with the cartridge is stored in the vapingapparatus or the chemical signature engine server 132. The vapingapparatus 110 may also include a user interface (not shown) to show thedifferent selections for the targeted flavors. Based upon auser-selected targeted flavor, the vaping apparatus 110 may sendinformation of the first flavor and the selected target flavor to theuser device 120. The user device 120 may then send the query 190 to thechemical signature engine server 132. In response to receiving the query190 from the user device 120, the chemical signature engine server 132retrieves the chemical signature 140 from the database 134 and sends thechemical signature 140 to the user device 120, and the user device 120transmits the chemical signature 140 to the vaping apparatus 110 and/orthe printer 182. The chemical signature 140 may define the compositionof the second flavor 170 or the third flavor 180 to be combined with thefirst flavor 160. In some embodiments, the vaping apparatus 110 mayinclude a processor that can execute instructions to determine thechemical signature based upon the first flavor 160 and the target flavorthat can be selected via the vaping apparatus. For example, theprocessor may use a look-up table (LUT) to determine the chemicalsignature based upon the selected target flavor and the inserted baseflavor in the chamber of the vaping apparatus. An example of a LUT isdescribed in detail in FIG. 4 below.

The user device 120 may be embodied by a cellular phone, a smart phone,a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a laptop, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a satellite radio, a global positioning system, amultimedia device, a video device, a camera, a game console, a tablet, asmart device, a wearable device, or any other similar functioningdevice. In one embodiment, the user device 120 may communicate with thechemical signature engine server 132 to obtain the chemical signature140. In this embodiment, the user device may forward the chemicalsignature 140 to the vaping apparatus 110 and/or the printer 182.

The chemical signature engine server 132 and the database 134 mayinclude hardware and software infrastructures that can be resident inthe cloud 130. The database 134 may be included in the chemicalsignature engine server 132. The chemical signature engine server 132may process the query 190 from the user device 120 or the vapingapparatus 110 to determine the chemical components to be added orcombined with the base flavor. In some cases, the chemical signature 140is generated to implement a cheaper version of the targeted flavor 150when the raw material components in the second flavor 170 or the thirdflavor 180 can be bought in bulk at lower prices.

Example Vaping Apparatus

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a vaping apparatus thatcommunicates with the chemical signature engine server to receive thechemical signature, which can be used as a reference to generate thetargeted flavor. In the illustrated example, the vaping apparatus 110may include a communication interface 200, sensor(s) 210, one or moreprocessors 220, a chamber module 230, and a memory 260 with a datastore270. The chamber module 230 may further include a vaporizing heater 232,one or more nozzle(s) 234, one or more cartridge(s) 236, vent holes 238,and a printed substrate 240.

In one example, the vaping apparatus 110 may communicate with the userdevice 120, chemical signature engine server 132, and/or the printer 182through the communication interface 200, which can include hardware,software, or a combination of hardware and software to transmit and/orreceive data. Communication interface 200 may include a transceiver thatfacilitates wired or wireless communications through a cellular networkor a broadband network. For example, the communications can be achievedvia one or more networks, such as, but are not limited to, one or moreof WiMax, a Local Area Network (LAN), Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN), a Personal area network (PAN), a Campus area network (CAN), aMetropolitan area network (MAN), or any broadband network, and furtherenabled with technologies such as, by way of example, Global System forMobile Communications (GSM), Personal Communications Service (PCS),Bluetooth, WiFi, Fixed Wireless Data, 2G, 5G (new radio), etc.

Sensor(s) 210 may include, without limitation, an airflow sensor, powersensor, pressure sensor, and other similar types of sensors that can beused during a vaping operation. For example, the sensor(s) 210 maydetect pressure from a mouthpiece (not shown) of the vaping apparatusand in response, the sensor(s) 210 may send this signal to theprocessor(s) 220 to be used as a reference for activating the heatingelement in the chamber. In another example, the sensor(s) 210 may detecta time period during which the heating element was activated and comparethe time period with a threshold value to automatically shut off powerif the threshold value is exceeded, and so on. In these examples, thesensor(s) 210 may send sensor data to the processor(s) 220 for furtherprocessing.

Processor(s) 220 may be a central processing unit(s) (CPU), graphicsprocessing unit(s) (GPU), both a CPU and GPU, or any other sort ofprocessing unit(s). Each of the one or more processor(s) 220 may havenumerous arithmetic logic units (ALUs) that perform arithmetic andlogical operations as well as one or more control units (CUs) thatextract instructions and stored content from processor cache memory, andthen execute these instructions by calling on the ALUs, as necessaryduring program execution. The one or more processor(s) 220 may also beresponsible for executing all computer applications stored in thememory, which can be associated with common types of volatile (RAM)and/or non-volatile (ROM) memory. For example, the processor(s) 220 maysend the query to the chemical signature engine server. The processor(s)220 may also process the chemical signature from the chemical signatureengine server 132 where the chemical signature may indicate thequantities and types of pre-vapor formulations to be combined. Inanother example, the processor(s) 220 may use the communicationinterface 200 to send the sensor data, base flavor, selected targetedflavor, and other vaping apparatus data to the user device, chemicalsignature engine server, and/or the printer.

The chamber module 230 may include hardware and/or processor-executablesoftware components that control the generation of targeted flavorsbased upon the corresponding chemical signatures. The chamber module mayinclude an enclosure that receives the wick, oil, the injected pre-vaporformulations, and/or the printed dissolvable substrate. A heatingelement (not shown) in the chamber may transfer heat to an incomingambient air that can be drawn through chamber vent holes (not shown)during vaping, which in turn heats the wick, oil, injected pre-vaporformulations, and/or the printed dissolvable substrate by convection. Inone example, the chamber module 230 may operate to combine a base flavorwith a separate or different flavor to generate a desired or targetedflavor. The base flavor can be derived from a wick that is heated toabsorb oil while the combined chemical component may be derived via aninjection of one or more pre-vapor formulations into a chamber of thevaping apparatus or insertion of the printed dissolvable substrate intothe chamber for vaporization. The base flavor may include tobacco, mint,mango, tropical fruit, cola, or other flavors. The injected pre-vaporformulations or printed dissolvable substrate may include an additionalamount of purified cannabinoid, terpene, or a suitable combinationthereof.

The vaporizing heater 232 may include a heating element such as a coilthat can be energized to transfer heat and vaporize a combination of theinjected pre-vapor formulations and the base flavor from the wick in thechamber of the vaping apparatus. The heating element may includesurfaces that vaporize the pre-vapor formulations in the chamber. In oneexample, the processor(s) 220 may use the direction of airflow thatindicates blowing air through a mouthpiece of the vaping apparatus andthe magnitude of the airflow to trigger the application of heat over thebase flavor and the injected pre-vapor formulations. In this example, adetected direction of airflow and use of a threshold value for themagnitude of the airflow may indicate active use of the vaping apparatussuch that the vaporizing heater 232 activates the heating element tovaporize the combination of base flavor and the added flavor in thechamber. In one embodiment, the activation of the heating element isvariable depending upon the detected magnitude of the airflow in aparticular direction. For example, when the magnitude of the airflowexceeds the threshold value, then the vaporizing heater 232 applies heatin the chamber. Otherwise, the vaporizing heater 232 may turn off theheating element when the threshold value is not exceeded.

The one or more nozzles 234 may include injectors that are in fluidcommunication with a set of reservoirs in which are held differentpre-vapor formulations. The first pre-vapor formulation 172, secondpre-vapor formulation 174, and third pre-vapor formulation 176 in FIG. 1may be pre-packaged and the one or more nozzles can facilitate theinjection of the pre-vapor formulations into the chamber. In oneembodiment, the processor may use the chemical signature to control theinjection of the pre-vapor formulations by the one or more nozzle(s)234. For example, the selected target flavor may include an additional70% of purified cannabinoid per 1 mg of the base flavor. In thisexample, the chemical signature may include a combination of 0.7 mL ofTHC, 0.03 mL of purified terpene such as linalool, 0.07 mL of glycerin,0.2 mL of ethanol, 1 mg of polyvinylpyrrolidone, and 0.1 mL of water togenerate an injected pre-vapor formulation that comprises 70% purifiedcannabinoid by weight and 3% terpene by weight. The 0.1 mL water in thiscombination may be added in small increments to obtain a viscosity of 1mPa·s. This combination may be divided into individual doses; forexample, a single injection of the combination may provide 10 mg dropletor burst of TCH to the chamber.

The one or more cartridge(s) 236 may include disposable and pre-filledcontainers that can hold the wick, pre-vapor formulations, oil, and thelike. In one embodiment, each of the cartridges may include a distinctlabel to identify the base flavor that is associated with the cartridge.For example, the label may identify a cartridge to have a tobaccoflavor. In some embodiments, the cartridge may also contain the secondflavor. In this case, the label may identify the cartridge, for example,to have 70% of cannabis per dosage. In these examples, the processor(s)220 may be configured to identify the flavors that are associated withthe different cartridges based on their respective labels.

The vent holes 238 may be positioned on a lower surface of the vapingapparatus to allow the airflow into the chamber of the vaping apparatus.The vent holes may include a slidable cover that can be configured toallow the airflow upon activation of power of the vaping apparatus. Theambient air of the airflow together with the applied amount of heatingin the chamber may vaporize the flavor compounds from the chamber of thevaping apparatus and exit at the mouthpiece. The flavor compounds mayinclude cannabinoid, terpene, tobacco flavors, and similar flavors.

The printed substrate 240 may provide a roll of printed dissolvablesubstrate that can be inserted into the chamber. The insertion to exposethe printed dissolvable substrate may be done manually via a knob (notshown) or through a roller (not shown) that inserts the printeddissolvable substrate in increments to the chamber. The printeddissolvable substrate may be subdivided using perforated substrateswhere each section may correspond to a dosage that can be combined withthe base flavor to generate the targeted flavor.

For example, a dissolvable substrate may be printed with an inkcomposition that comprises 70% purified cannabinoid by weight and 3%terpene by weight. This ink composition may be derived by mixing 70 mLof THC, 3.0 mL of purified terpene such as linalool, 7 mL of glycerin,20 mL of ethanol, 100 mg of polyvinylpyrrolidone, and 15 mL of water. Inthis example, the printed substrate 240 may be subdivided into dosageswhere each dosage may include 10 mg of THC per individual dosage. Eachdosage may be identified through a perforation of the printed substrate.In some instances, each increment in the vaping apparatus or knob stepmay be preconfigured to insert a particular dosage into the chamber.

Memory 260 may be implemented using computer-readable media, such ascomputer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media includes, atleast, two types of computer-readable media, namely computer-readablestorage media and communications media. Computer-readable storage mediaincludes, but is not limited to, Random Access Memory (RAM), DynamicRandom Access Memory (DRAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), ElectricallyErasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), flash memory or othermemory technology, Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), digitalversatile disks (DVD), high-definition multimedia/data storage disks, orother optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmissionmedium that can be used to store information for access by a computingdevice. As defined herein, computer-readable storage media do notconsist of and are not formed exclusively by, modulated data signals,such as a carrier wave. In contrast, communication media may embodycomputer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, orother data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave, or othertransmission mechanisms.

Datastore 270 may include a repository of identifiers and correspondingcombinations between the base flavor, pre-vapor formulations, and/or thecompositions of the ink that were printed on the dissolvable substrate.The datastore may further store the configuration of the vapingapparatus and other suitable data pertinent to an operation of thevaping apparatus. In one embodiment, the datastore 270 may utilize a LUTto identify the corresponding chemical signature based upon the detectedbase flavor and the selected target flavor. The datastore 270 mayinclude a database for different labels of cartridges and theircorresponding information, previously selected flavors, and the like.Each prior selected flavor may be associated with an identifier andstored as historical data in the datastore 270. In some embodiments, amachine-learning algorithm may be used on the historical data tostatistically determine the combination or combinations that will bestgenerate the desired targeted flavor.

Example Chemical Signature Engine Server

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of various components of an example chemicalsignature engine server 132 that may support the on-demand customizationof desired flavors in a vaping apparatus. The chemical signature engineserver 132 may be configured to perform an analysis of the targetedflavor and generate the chemical signature that can identify thequantities, components, chemicals, methods, and other data forgenerating the flavor or flavors to be combined with the base flavor.The chemical signature engine server 132 may include a communicationinterface 300, one or more processors 320, a chemical signatureidentification module 330, and a memory 350. The chemical signatureidentification module 330 may further include a base flavor component332, target flavor component 334, and a LUT 336, in some examples. Thememory 350 also includes a datastore 360.

In one example, the chemical signature engine server 132 may communicatewith the vaping apparatus, printer device, user device that isassociated with the vaping apparatus, and/or datastore through thecommunication interface 300. The communication interface 300 may includehardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software thattransmits and/or receives data from the user device or vaping apparatus.Communication interface 300 may include a transceiver that facilitateswired or wireless communications through a cellular network or thebroadband network. For example, the communications can be achieved viaone or more networks, such as, but are not limited to, one or more ofWiMax, a Local Area Network (LAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), aPersonal area network (PAN), a Campus area network (CAN), a Metropolitanarea network (MAN), or any broadband network, and further enabled withtechnologies such as, by way of example, Global System for MobileCommunications (GSM), Personal Communications Service (PCS), Bluetooth,WiFi, Fixed Wireless Data, 2G, 5G (new radio), etc.

Processor(s) 320 may be a central processing unit(s) (CPU), graphicsprocessing unit(s) (GPU), both a CPU and GPU, or any other sort ofprocessing unit(s). Each of the one or more processor(s) 320 may havenumerous arithmetic logic units (ALUs) that perform arithmetic andlogical operations as well as one or more control units (CUs) thatextract instructions and stored content from processor cache memory, andthen execute these instructions by calling on the ALUs, as necessaryduring program execution. The one or more processor(s) 320 may also beresponsible for executing all computer applications stored in thememory, which can be associated with common types of volatile (RAM)and/or non-volatile (ROM) memory. For example, the processor(s) 320 mayprocess the query from the user device, vaping apparatus, or theprinter. The query may include information such as, e.g., vapingapparatus information, selected targeted data, base flavor, and thelike. In another example, the processor(s) 320 may use the communicationinterface 300 to send the notifications to network components such asthe vaping apparatus, user device, and the printer.

The chemical signature identification module 330 may use one or morecomponents to generate the chemical signature based upon the informationin the query that can be received from the user device or the vapingapparatus. The information in the query may include the base flavor thatis to be loaded or loaded already in the vaping apparatus, the selectedflavor, and the desired source of the additional flavor to be added. Thedesired source can be via the pre-vapor formulations or the printeddissolvable substrate.

The base flavor component 332 may include a hardware and/or softwarethat can identify the base flavor of the cartridge to be loaded or thatis loaded already in the vaping apparatus. In one example, the baseflavor component may use the information in the LUT 336 to identify thebase flavor to be associated with the selected target flavor. In thisexample, base flavor component 332 may parse data information of thereceived query to identify the one or more of the requesting vapingapparatuses, the cartridge labels and the associated base flavors, andthe like. In this example, each cartridge may be associated with adistinct identification or code included in this data information todetermine the type and kind of base flavor that it contains. The baseflavor may include tobacco, mint, mango, tropical fruit, cola, or othernicotine flavors.

The target flavor component 334 may be configured to identify thecorresponding chemical signature based upon the selected target flavor.In one embodiment, the received query may include the information aboutthe base flavor of the cartridge that has been loaded into the vapingapparatus. In this embodiment, the target flavor component 334 may usethe base flavor information and the selected target flavor to search thecorresponding chemical signature in the LUT 336. In some embodiments,the received query may only include the information about the selectedtarget flavor because a user is undecided, for example, on the baseflavor to load into the vaping apparatus. In this case, the targetflavor component may use the LUT to select different base flavors thatare associated with the selected target flavor. In these embodiments,the corresponding chemical signatures may include an additional dosageof purified cannabinoid, terpene, or a suitable combination thereof,that can be combined with a particular and identified base flavor.

The LUT 336 may include information that can be used to identify thecorresponding chemical signatures and/or base flavors based upon theselected target flavors. In one embodiment, the LUT may includedifferent chemical signatures for different combinations of the loadedor to be loaded base flavors and selected target flavors. The LUT mayalso include the labels of the cartridges and identification of thevaping apparatus that can be associated with corresponding targetflavors and chemical signatures.

Memory 350 may be implemented using computer-readable media, such ascomputer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media includes, atleast, two types of computer-readable media, namely computer-readablestorage media and communications media. Computer-readable storage mediaincludes, but is not limited to, Random Access Memory (RAM), DynamicRandom Access Memory (DRAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), ElectricallyErasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), flash memory or othermemory technology, Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), digitalversatile disks (DVD), high-definition multimedia/data storage disks, orother optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmissionmedium that can be used to store information for access by a computingdevice. As defined herein, computer-readable storage media do notconsist of and are not formed exclusively by, modulated data signals,such as a carrier wave. In contrast, communication media may embodycomputer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, orother data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave, or othertransmission mechanisms. The memory 350 may also include a firewall. Insome embodiment, the firewall may be implemented as hardware in thechemical signature engine server 132.

The datastore 370 may include a repository of identifiers and associatedchemical signature specifications, base flavors, and any other datapertinent to an operation of the chemical signature engine server 132.The repository may be or include a database, lookup table, or otherconstruct that enables any of the components described herein toretrieve data by, for example, sending first data to the datastore 370and retrieving second data based on the association.

Example Look-up Table (LUT)

FIG. 4 illustrates an example block diagram of a LUT 400 that can beused by the chemical signature engine server or the vaping apparatus todetermine the chemical signature that includes the formulations and/orprinted dissolvable substrate to be combined with the base flavor in thechamber of the vaping apparatus. For illustration purposes, only twotypes of cartridges are shown; however, additional types such as mangoflavor, tropical flavor, or other flavors may be added without affectingthe embodiments described herein.

Without limitation, the LUT 400 may include cartridge labels 410,corresponding base flavor 420 for each type of cartridge, differentselections for target flavors 430, and corresponding chemical signatures440 for the target flavors. The cartridge labels 410 may includedistinct identifiers for different cartridges. The identifier may beengraved or affixed to the cartridges such as by a stamp or othermarking, or using a printed substrate. The base flavor 420 may include,without limitation, tobacco, mint, mango, tropical fruit, cola, or otherflavors, for example. The target flavors 430 may include a combinationof the base flavors and additional chemical components such as thecannabis, terpene, and the like. For example, the medium strengthtobacco 432, high strength tobacco 434, medium strength mint 436, andhigh strength mint 438 may each include additional compounds such asTCH, glycerin, ethanol, and the like, that can be added to a particularbase flavor.

For each selected target flavor, the chemical signatures 440 may includecorresponding predetermined chemical components such as 70% TCHformulations 442, 70% printed dissolvable substrate 444, 70% TCHformulations 446, and 70% printed dissolvable substrate 448. The 70% TCHformulations 442 may include injecting pre-vapor formulations comprisingof 70 mL of THC, 3.0 mL of purified terpene such as linalool, 7 mL ofglycerin, 20 mL of ethanol, 100 mg of polyvinylpyrrolidone, and 15 mL ofwater to each mg of gin. In one embodiment, the 70% TCH formulations 442is pre-packaged, and each burst of nozzle injection may correspond to aparticular amount of dosage of the TCH. The 70% printed dissolvablesubstrate 444 may include a specification that uses 70 mL of THC, 3.0 mLof purified terpene such as linalool, 7 mL of glycerin, 20 mL ofethanol, 100 mg of polyvinylpyrrolidone, and 15 mL of water to createthe ink composition that can be used to create the printed dissolvablesubstrate, and so on. These chemical signatures are for illustrationpurposes only and different amounts of cannabis, terpenes, or acombination thereof, can be added and mixed with the base flavor.

Example Implementation of Generating Targeted Flavor

FIG. 5 presents a process 500 that relates to an on-demand customizationof inhalants on the vaping apparatus to generate a targeted flavor.Process 500 illustrates a collection of blocks in a logical flow chart,which represents a sequence of operations that can be implemented inhardware, software, or a combination thereof. In the context ofsoftware, the blocks represent computer-executable instructions that,when executed by one or more processors, perform the recited operations.Generally, computer-executable instructions may include routines,programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like thatperform particular functions or implement particular abstract datatypes. The order in which the operations are described is not intendedto be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described blockscan be combined in any order and/or in parallel to implement theprocess. For discussion purposes, process 500 is described withreference to the context diagram 100 of FIG. 1 .

At block 502, the vaping apparatus may receive a selected target flavor.In one embodiment, the vaping apparatus may be configured to present aselection of target flavors to a user. For example, each target flavormay correspond to a preset radial position of a target flavor wheel thatcan be rotated to select the target flavor from different target flavorsoffered by the vapor apparatus. Due to the vaping apparatus' small formfactor, the target flavor wheel may include an indicator tab that stopsat a predetermined number of preset radial positions where eachpresented radial position corresponds to a target flavor that can bepresented via the user interface and can be selected by the user. Inthis example, the target flavor may include the combination of the baseflavor that can be derived from the wick of a replaceable cartridge andthe additional flavor that can be obtained from the pre-vaporformulations or the printed dissolvable substrate.

At block 504, the vaping apparatus may compare the selected targetflavor with a base flavor. The base flavor may include tobacco, mint,mango, tropical fruit, cola, or other flavors. The selected targetflavor may include flavors that are different or separate from the baseflavor. In a case where the selected target flavor is different from thebase flavor (“Yes” at block 506), then, at block 508, the vapingapparatus may receive a chemical signature based at least in part on thecomparison between chemical components of the selected target flavor andthe base flavor. The chemical signature may include an information toenhance the base flavor, which may include an addition of a particulardosage of purified cannabinoid, terpene, or a suitable combinationthereof.

At block 510, the vaping apparatus may inject a preconfigured amount ofone or more pre-vapor formulations into a chamber of the vapingapparatus. The chamber in the vaping apparatus may include an enclosurethat receives the wick, oil, and injected pre-vapor formulations. Aheating element in the chamber may transfer heat to incoming ambient airthat can be drawn through chamber vent holes during vaping, which inturn heats the injected pre-vapor formulations and the wick byconvection. In one example, the vaping apparatus may utilize one or morenozzles to inject the pre-vapor formulations into the chamber. In oneembodiment, the nozzles may be preconfigured to inject a particulardosage of the pre-vapor formulations when heat is applied to thechamber.

For example, the chemical signature specification may require anaddition of a 10 mg dosage of cannabinoid to the tobacco flavor. In thisexample, the nozzle may inject 0.7 mL of THC, 0.03 mL of purifiedterpene such as linalool, 0.07 mL of glycerin, 0.2 mL of ethanol, 1 mgof polyvinylpyrrolidone, and 0.1 mL of water into the chamber togenerate a pre-vapor formulation that comprises 70% purified cannabinoidby weight and 3% terpene by weight. The nozzle may be preconfigured toinject a particular weight of the mixed pre-vapor formulations such as10 mg per injection.

In some embodiments, a printed dissolvable substrate may be obtainedfrom the ink composition that comprise the combined pre-vaporformulations to generate the particular dosage of purified cannabinoidand terpene. In this embodiment, and following the preceding example,the 0.7 mL of THC, 0.03 mL of purified terpene such as linalool, 0.07 mLof glycerin, 0.2 mL of ethanol, 1 mg of polyvinylpyrrolidone and 0.1 mLof water are well mixed such that all the compounds can be homogeneouslydispersed within an ink composition. The ink composition is then loadedinto an ink cartridge and printed on a dissolvable substrate that can beused as an alternative to the injection of one or more pre-vaporformulations as described above.

At block 512, the vaping apparatus may use the vaporizing heater toapply heat in the chamber to vaporize the base flavor and the injectedone or more pre-vapor formulations. In one example, during vaping, thevaporizing heater may transfer heat to incoming ambient air that can bedrawn through chamber vent holes, which in turn heats the injectedpre-vapor formulations and the wick by convection. The heating of theinjected pre-vapor formulations and the wick may generate the selectedtarget flavor received at block 502.

Returning to block 506, in a case where the selected target flavor isthe same as the base flavor, then, at block 514, the vaping apparatusmay use the vaporizing heater to apply heat in the chamber to vaporizethe base flavor.

CONCLUSION

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above.Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed asexample forms of implementing the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vaping apparatus comprising: an interface toreceive a selected target flavor; a processor coupled to the interface,the processor configured to execute instructions to: compare theselected target flavor with a base flavor; and receive a chemicalsignature based at least in part upon a comparison between the targetflavor and the base flavor; a chamber module coupled to the processor,the chamber module further comprising; at least one nozzle that uses thechemical signature as a reference for injecting one or more pre-vaporformulations into a chamber; and a vaporizing heater that heats the baseflavor and the injected one or more pre-vapor formulations to generatethe target flavor.
 2. The vaping apparatus claim 1 further comprising: awick that is positioned within a cartridge and dipped onto an oil toabsorb the base flavor, wherein the base flavor includes a tobaccoflavor.
 3. The vaping apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processorexecutes instructions to send a query to a server that includes datainformation of a comparison between chemical components of the targetflavor and the base flavor.
 4. The vaping apparatus of claim 3, whereinthe processor receives the chemical signature in response to the querysent to the server.
 5. The vaping apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising a look-up table (LUT) that includes corresponding chemicalsignatures for different target flavors.
 6. The vaping apparatus claim 1further comprising: a printed substrate that provides a dosage ofprinted dissolvable substrate into the chamber, wherein the dosage ofprinted dissolvable substrate is combined with the base flavor togenerate the target flavor.
 7. The vaping apparatus of claim 6, whereinthe printed dissolvable substrate is used as an alternative to thepre-vapor formulations.
 8. The vaping apparatus of claim 1, wherein thepre-vapor formulations include at least one of a Tetrahydrocannabinol(THC), a purified terpene, glycerin, ethanol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, orwater.
 9. The vaping apparatus of claim 8, wherein the target flavorincludes the base flavor and an additional dosage of THC.
 10. A methodcomprising: receiving, by a vaping apparatus, a selected target flavor;comparing the selected target flavor with a base flavor; receiving achemical signature based at least in part upon a comparison between thetarget flavor and the base flavor; injecting one or more pre-vaporformulations into a chamber; and applying heat in the chamber thatvaporizes the base flavor and the injected one or more pre-vaporformulations to generate the target flavor.
 11. The method of claim 10further comprising: dipping a wick that is positioned within a cartridgeonto an oil to absorb the base flavor, wherein the base flavor includesa tobacco flavor.
 12. The method of claim 10 further comprising: sendinga query to a server that includes data information of a comparisonbetween chemical components of the target flavor and the base flavor.13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving of the chemicalsignature is in response to the sending of the query to the server. 14.The method of claim 12, wherein a resulting difference between thechemical components of the target flavor and the base flavor correspondsto the injected one or more pre-vapor formulations in the chamber. 15.The method of claim 10 further comprising: inserting into the chamber adosage of printed dissolvable substrate, wherein the dosage of theprinted dissolvable substrate is combined with the base flavor togenerate the target flavor.
 16. The method of claim 10, wherein thepre-vapor formulations include at least one of a Tetrahydrocannabinol(THC), a purified terpene, glycerin, ethanol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, orwater.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the target flavor includesthe base flavor and an additional dosage of THC.
 18. One or morenon-transitory computer-readable storage media storingcomputer-executable instructions that upon execution cause one or morecomputers to collectively perform acts comprising: receiving a selectedtarget flavor; comparing the selected target flavor with a base flavor,wherein the base flavor includes a tobacco flavor; receiving a chemicalsignature based at least in part upon a comparison between the targetflavor and the base flavor; injecting one or more pre-vapor formulationsinto a chamber; and applying heat in the chamber that vaporizes the baseflavor and the injected one or more pre-vapor formulations to generatethe target flavor.
 19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readablestorage media of claim 18, wherein the receiving of the chemicalsignature is in response to a sending of a query to a server.
 20. Theone or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18,wherein the pre-vapor formulations include at least one of aTetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a purified terpene, glycerin, ethanol,polyvinylpyrrolidone, or water.